India Speeds Up Green Approvals as Environmentalists Call Foul Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vrishti Beniwal, Bloomberg News BC-India-Speeds-Up-Green-Approvals-as-Environmentalists-Call-Foul , Rajesh Kumar Singh and Vrishti Beniwal (Bloomberg) -- Indiaâs Environment Ministry has almost halved the time it takes to clear projects, cheering companies hit by the pandemic and worrying green activists concerned the increased pace may come at a cost. It took an average of 84 days to clear a project in 2021, compared with 162 days the year before, according to data shared by the ministry. Thatâs a result of cutting down needless processes and setting timelines for assessment panels, according to Rameshwar Prasad Gupta, the top bureaucrat in the ministry who took charge last year.